Words & Worship

Introduction

Tonight, we are going to continue a series of messages we began 2 Wednesdays ago on the topic of worship. Our passage tonight comes from Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15.

Hebrews 13:15 says this;

Hebrews 13:15 NIV

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.

PRAY: after reading the passage

I want to speak to you tonight on the topic of “Words & Worship”. My prayer tonight is that at the end of this message is that we would each find resolve to commit our mouths to the worship of The Lord as this passage in Hebrews tells us to do.

I want to begin tonight by breaking this verse down line by line.

WORSHIP IS THROUGH JESUS

Notice first that worship is through Jesus. You must have Jesus living inside of you. The Word of God says you can only get to the Father through Jesus. Worship is through Jesus Christ…The only way we have any right to approach the Father is through Jesus Christ.

LET US CONTINUALLY…

Next it says let us continually, Do you know what the word continually means in it’s original meaning? Not a trick question, it simply means CONTINUALLY, Always! Worship is not just for Sunday AM, PM and Wednesday Nights. It is for always! Because God is good and worthy - ALL THE TIME.

OFFER A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE…

Then the scripture tells us to offer a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice in the Old Testament was something that was brought by the worshipper to be offered unto God. It was to be his or her very best. HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WORSHIP, WE SHOULD GIVE TO GOD OUR VERY BEST?

I have a hard time with people who get excited about all kinds of things here on the earth. But when it comes to worship, suddenly you hear crickets thats how quiet they get.

PEOPLE OF GOD IT CANNOT BE THIS WAY, GIVE GOD YOUR BEST, OFFER UP YOUR BEST!

Bring to God that sacrifice of praise - GIVE HIM YOUR VERY BEST!

THE FRUIT OF OUR LIPS THAT CONFESS HIS NAME

Finally, What is the fruit of your lips? No, we don’t have an apple growing from our upper lip. But if you do I suggest you get that looked at.

The fruit that your lips produce are your words!

Let us continually through Jesus Christ offer spoken words of praise and worship unto God.

We are commanded to continually speak words out of our mouths that lift up Jesus. We are to be continually, with our mouths, giving praise and worship to the Lord.

Now, what I want to do with the reminder of our time tonight is give you a few thoughts on “our words and our worship”.

Message Body

Number 1…

1. There is great power in worship that comes from your mouth

I understand God hears you when you think, “Thank you Jesus”

I recognize there are times when you cannot say out loud, “Praise the Lord,” but under your breath you are thanking Jesus, and He receives it.

But there is much power in a spoken word! I believe the more spoken our worship is, especially in a setting of the believers, the more powerful it is!

Remember when Jesus and the disciples got into a boat and headed for the other side of the lake, about half way across a furious storm arose that threatened to capsize their boat. Jesus wasn’t worried, he was fast asleep. But the disciples feared for their life, so they woke Jesus up, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that we are about to perish.”

Mark 4:39 says;

Mark 4:39 NIV

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

I don’t know how you were taught in school but from what I remember wind and waves don’t have ears to hear.

So why didn’t Jesus just think in His head, quiet, be still?

Why did he have to speak it?

Because there is a spiritual dynamic involved in spoken words!

Remember the creation story?

God said - Let there be light and there was light

God said - Let there be an expanse between the waters - There was

God said - Let the waters be gathered into one place - And they were

God spoke - And it was! The world and everything in it was created by God’s spoken word!

If you don’t believe there is a spiritual dynamic involved in spoken words; then why can a child be affected for life by a few spoken words from their parents?

ILLUSTRATION: PARENTS WORDS OVER A CHILD

Let’s say a parent get’s angry at a child, and screams, “You’ll never amount to anything.”

The devil says to the parent, “Thank you for speaking that, I can now use those words.”

So the devil then proceeds begin playing the recording of those parents words over and over in the child’s mind.

You’ll never amount to anything (x3)

Until the child believes that lie!

There is a powerful spiritual dynamic involved in spoken words!

Now certainly, you can be greatly blessed by meditating upon God. There are times when you need silently lift up praise, but…

THERE IS A SPIRITUAL DYNAMIC UNLEASHED WHEN YOU SPEAK PRAISE

Let me put it this way, Hell shakes when you speak out praise!

This is why when we come together, and we have opportunity to lift up our voices unto God, to sing, to openly worship God, we must do it, because our spoken worship from a sincere heart can be heard in the spiritual realm, the devil quakes and God moves.

There have been a number of services in my time here at Eastern where everyone in the house was worshipping God WITH SPOKEN WORDS, you could sense this force of praise moving heavenward, and the glory of God moving downward.

Think about this…Why is it when you’re under oppression, it’s so hard to verbally praise the Lord?

Because the devil knows if you would stand up when you feel like it the least and begin to praise God, IT WOULD BREAK THE VERY CHAINS THAT THE ENEMY IS TRYING TO PUT YOU IN! THAT WELL WOULD RISE UP WITHIN YOU IN OPPOSITION TO THE ATTACK OF THE ENEMY!

I’ve seen this so many times in my own life. There will be days when I feel down or days where the enemy is really trying to mess with my mind. But in those moments I’ve that if I open my mouth and lift up a song of praise and worship unto the Lord, the atmosphere of my heart and mind changes so dramatically simply because I opened my mouth to praise The Lord.

Maybe you’ve experienced that in your life. You found yourself in a battle but you lifted up praise to The Lord and it brought victory. We also see this pattern it the Old Testament as there were many battles and occasions where vocal praise brought the victory.

BATTLE OF JERICHO

For 6 days they were to walk around the circumference of the city. On the 7th day they were to walk around 7 times with trumpets blowing, and when they heard the trumpets prolong their blast, they were to shout the victory, and the walls would and did come down.

JEHOSHAPHAT

Jehoshaphat was so confident that God was doing to bring victory that he sent the praise band down the road to face the enemy. Note what happened in 2 Chronicles 20:22, it says;

2 Chronicles 20:22 NIV

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

GIDEON

Gideon and only 300 men faced a huge army. Judges 7:12 says this;

Judges 7:12 NIV

12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

Gideon to his 300 men and put them around the outside of the enemies camps. Then is verses 20 and 21 it says this;

Judges 7:20–21 NIV

20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

Think of how ferocious this enemy appeared…Midianites, Amalekites, others had joined together. Thousands upon thousands. Versus 300. But when that 300 in obedience to God lifted up their voices in praise to God, not only did the enemy flee, but they cried as they fled.

There’s a song that goes like this..

Praise the Lord He can work through those who praise Him

Praise the Lord for our God inhabits praise

Praise the Lord for the chains that seem to bind you

Serve only to remind you

That they drop powerless behind you

WHEN YOU PRAISE HIM!

Thought number 2 on words and worship…

2. The devil doesn’t let words go unspoken

How come all the devil’s servants don’t keep their mouths shut? How come they all go around with mouths wide open, cursing God and spreading poison everywhere.

Because this devil knows that power of spoken words!

How do I know? Think about these examples…

How come when a person gets angry the first thing they do is say things that they will later regret? The devil wants you to speak when angry, so he can use those spoken words.

How come people who know nothing of Christ use His name in vain?

How come you never hear some Christians thank Jesus or praise God, but you hear them gossip, complain, and grumble? The devil knows that if only use your mouth for those things, you can call yourself a Christian and actually be helping him build his kingdom.

If God’s people really came to understand power of spoken words, dedicated their mouths to lifting up and praising Jesus, continually offering pleasing sacrifice unto Him, WE’D SEND THE DEVIL TO CONTINUAL DEFEAT.

There is such power in spoken words of praise and worship!

Remember when Paul and Silas were locked up in prison in Philippi? At midnight they began to sing hymns and praises unto God. They didn’t care what anybody else thought, they just knew the devil was after them, and they were not about to give devil credit or glory, so they lifted up their voices in that cold, dark prison.

It says other prisoners were listening - That means it was spoken...Acts 16:25-26 says this;

Acts 16:25–26 NIV

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

Although this story happened in the natural, it’s a picture of what happens in the spiritual realm.

The prison was shaken - the powers of hell

Doors fly open - Spiritual stronghold of the devil

Chains came loose - Prisoners set free

All because two men decided that in the midst of the onslaught of hell they were going to lift up their voice and praise The Lord.

Listen to these Psalms that speak of spoken praise;

Psalm 3:4 NIV

4 I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.

Psalm 8:2 NIV

2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 9:2–3 NIV

2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. 3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.

Psalm 18:3 NIV

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.

Psalm 33:1 NIV

1 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Psalm 34:1 NIV

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

Thought number 3…

3. Why can’t some Christians control what comes out of their mouth?

They praise God with their mouth one minute, but then the next there using their mouths for purposes that aren’t so Godly.

They praise God one minute but then the next they are laying into some one and chewing them out. James 3:9-12 says this;

James 3:9–12 NIV

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

These verses lay it out plain and simple that whatever spills out of your mouth is a product of what’s inside of you. If you have some filthy water in there, its going to come out as filthy water. If your spring is pure, out will come pure water.

In Matthew 12:34, Jesus said it this way;

Matthew 12:34 CSB

34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

You may say, “Pastor, I know why my mouth get’s out of control when I’m pushed against the wall. It’s because I was abused, my mother used to yell at me, curse me, and I learned it all from her.”

People of God, I say this with all the love in my heart, it’s time to get free from your chains! So that you can obey God and praise Him continually with your lips.

Please hear me tonight; If you are living under the spoken words of someone in your past, Jesus is able to break the power of those words over you because He is not want you living under a CURSE, He desires you to be free to BLESS HIS NAME AND BE BLESSED!

Psalm 34:12-13 says this;

Psalm 34:12–13 NIV

12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

Now for those of you who tend to say things that you later regret…anyone every done that before?

Again please hear me tonight, When you commit yourself wholly as an offering to God, you are declaring that He is…

Your protection

Your help

your defense

The one who is going to stand by your side

But there’s a lot of Christians who haven’t learned they can trust Him that much. So when their boat is rocked, their tongue becomes a weapon to defend themselves.

This is something we can all learn…We need to be like Jesus when the devil’s on your case, trying to get you to speak something not of God.

What’s the example of Jesus? Let’s look at Matthew 26:62-63 where it says;

Matthew 26:62–63 NIV

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.

Let me tell you something about how devil works. He comes to you and tries to get you to move. To open your mouth, to get nervous, so he can have an open door Once open that door, he’ll work on you big time.

Now I understand it’s hard not to speak sometimes. Especially when someone is falsely accusing you or when others are attacking you. It’s hard to trust the Lord when there’s a dagger in your neck.

But you’ve got to decide which is more important Your neck or God’s glory!

Let others falsely accuse me! Let me not say anything which doesn’t glorify God!

I’m not saying that there isn’t a time to speak up But let what we say be under inspiration from God NOT OUT OF THE NEED TO DEFEND OURSELVES!

Listen to what James says about a man or woman who is continually praising God, even when pushed against a wall. James 3:2 says this;

James 3:2 NIV

2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

The perfection me mentioned here in this scripture is speaking of maturity. How many of you desire to be a mature Christian? All of us right?

But beware, just a verses later in verse 6 it says:

James 3:6 NIV

6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Imagine that; A tongue on fire for God one minute, set on fire by hell the next!

If you really understand that God gave you the ability to speak so that you can fulfill your greatest calling in worship, and if you understand how hard the devil works to get you to say things that will bring damage to the kingdom of God, you will GUARD YOUR TONGUE AND RESERVE IT FOR WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO.

Proverbs 18:21 says this:

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

HOW DOES THE TONGUE HAVE THE POWER OF LIFE?

I can praise the Lord with that tongue

I can encourage somebody with that tongue

I can tell someone about Jesus with that tongue

HOW DOES THE TONGUE HAVE THE POWER OF DEATH?

I can curse someone with my tongue

I can gossip about someone with this tongue

I can use my tongue for my glory instead of God’s

Matthew 12:36-37 says this;

Matthew 12:36–37 NIV

36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Land The Plane

ASK: The worship team to return to stage

As our Lead Pastor and Pastor-Elect always say, let me land this plane with one final thought.

We’re talking tonight about worshipping the Lord with the fruit of your lips (SPOKEN WORDS). I want you to think about this in closing.

Do you know I can preach a message like this...

Invite people at the end to open their mouths and begin to praise the Lord Yet even after hearing about the power of spoken praise

THEY WILL NOT OPEN THEIR MOUTH AND PRAISE JESUS.

That same person...

When their favorite football is winning, “Yeah, go, touchdown.”

When they are talking about something they like, “They will talk for a half hour straight . ”

When you say something that gets them a little angry, “They speak up.”

But given the chance to open their mouth and worship…

They won’t do it! Even though the Word of God says worship involves a sacrifice! I have a hard time with that. God has a hard time with that. Why the hard time?

Because the highest calling you and I have is the worship of God and God says, “Worship me with the fruit of your lips.”

My prayer tonight is that each of us would see so clearly that we need to open the mouth that God gave us, and let our praise spill into the spiritual realm. I want my praise to honor God and be powerful in it’s effect. I want my praise to be a weapon that silences the enemy. I want my mouth to be used for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom.

How about you? Amen!

Response Time

ASK: The congregation to stand

Tonight I feel strongly that the most effective way for us to put this message into practice is for us as individuals to come to this altar of and offer up to God a sacrifice of praise.

To come before him and present the fruit of our lips (the words of our mouth) and resolve to be people who will use our mouths for his glory and not for the works of the enemy. To resolve to be people who will open our mouths to praise his name more than to praise anyone or anything else is this world.

As a teenager, I had a youth pastor who routinely said this phrase; “You have a responsibility to worship God when you feel like it and when you don’t”

You see, our worship cannot be dependent on our feelings. Some days were up and it is easy to give him praise, some days we are down and it’s hard to give him praise. But guess what? That’s what makes it a sacrifice of praise.

We give him all of our worship and praise because his is worthy of it. We give it to him because he is the holy one. We give it to him because he is the highly exalted one.

So that’s what were going to do tonight! We going to give him what he deserves!

Tonight, I want every person to move out of their seats and come to this altar. You can start now! I want to see each and every person in this place offer a sacrifice of praise with the fruit of their lips, the words of their month.

We’re going to sing a simple song tonight, no words on the screen, no distractions, just you lifting up your best worship, your best praise to the one who deserves it.

Tonight, we are going to give him all our worship, we are going to give him all our praise, it’s him alone we long to worship, he alone is worthy of our praise.

Let’s sing it to him tonight church!

WORSHIP TEAM: Begin’s playing “You’re Worthy of my Praise”

PRAY: To close out the service (after some time of worship response)